Until Proven Innocent
by Lajoy
Summary: An 8 year old murderer? In Woodcrest? The ever curious Riley Freeman just can't resist getting involved with her... But he soon finds out that if he doesn't stop trying to befriend this monster, he and the people close to him...are as good as dead..
1. Breaking News

**_Rated M for Voilence, Language, Murder, and umm... I would say more, but I don't want to give anything away. So, please read and enjoy!_**

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* * *

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_That smell._

_That disgusting, salty smell._  
_It was fresh.. -and continuous._

_"Mama..?"_

_No response._

_"…Mama..?"_

_The little girl stood in the doorway of that room which was soaked in red. Her black hair matted to her ebony skin. Her cheeks stained with fresh tears which fell from gray eyes. She clenched the bottom of her night gown tightly; holding on for dear life. She wished she could see. The moon shining in through the window wasn't enough to light her way. But it was enough to see all the red._

_Covering the ceiling._  
_Splattered on the walls._  
_Staining the bed sheets._  
_Dripping on the floor._

_She stepped closer._

_"..M-Mama..?"_

_Silence._

_She stepped closer to that bed; her little feet making squishing sounds on the tattered carpet. It was sticky. Sticky and thick. The smell got stronger and stronger. It made her cough. Made her gag. She couldn't take it. Why did it smell that way? It was the worst smell she had ever experienced in her 4 years of life. She stepped closer._

_Finally._

_She had finally made it. Maybe then her silent mother would comfort her._

_She then saw her. Her long black hair matted to her neck. Her back facing the little girl. She was sleeping the soundest sleep that the girl had ever seen. But she needed to wake up. She needed to tell the girl why the room was so different. So..-colorful. The little girl reached out; tapping her mother's shoulder._

_"..Mama."_

_She tapped harder._

_"..MAMA.."_

_She was getting nervous. She mustered up all her strength to pull her mother so that she was facing her. Why was she so sleepy? She just went to bed about 30 minutes ago. And the girl could've sworn she heard her moving in the last few minutes. Why was she so still now? So lifeless?_

_Finally. She managed to turn her mother's face into her own view._

_And the girl couldn't hold back her scream…_

_

* * *

_

**Four years later.**

Woodcrest.  
The little suburbia where kids got straight A's.  
Where Caucasians played checkers.  
And where everybody had pools.

It was a Saturday morning. The sun shined brightly on the spacious suburbia. Birds chirped, a few cars honked, and little white kids were playing like wild animals. Laughing and running around; obviously excited about getting away from the stress of school. Yes, it seemed like every kid was outside and enjoying this perfect day.

Well, almost every kid..

"Aww, come on, man! Cheatin' ass game! This shit is stupid!"

The little 8 year old boy yelled as he slammed the Play Station controller down on the floor. His brown corn rolls flew wildly behind his head as he jumped up from his original spot on the carpet. Fire was in his eyes as he read the screen of the television. It was written in bold red letters.

GAME OVER.

"I don't think it's the game that's stupid."

A calm voice said behind him.

The 8 year old known as Riley Freeman turned his attention to the voice that was heard behind him. A snarl was apparent on his face.

His brow was furred.  
His fists were clenched.  
He was pissed.

"Nigga, shut up!", he yelled at his older brother.

The 10 year old looked up from his book. The look on his face showed that he wasn't amused by his brother's comment. He was known as Huey Freeman. Well known, actually. You could see that big ass bush from a mile away. Huey just rolled his eyes and went on reading his book. He didn't have time for an ignorant conversation that Riley would surely try to start. Ignoring it was the best way to avoid it.

Seeing as though Huey had nothing to say, Riley expressed a satisfied look on his face. "..I thought so.." he said as he turned back towards the screen. The red words "GAME OVER" were still blinking on the screen and Riley shook his head in disappointment. Why did his games always have to cheat?

"RILEY! Get off that game!"

A voice boomed from the doorway of the living room. Riley looked up with an annoyed look on his face. There was his granddad; walking in the living room with an anxious expression on his features.

Granddad, or Robert Freeman, was a man in his late 50's. He had light gray hair, glasses, and a bad attitude. But he had good reason. Dealing with two rowdy grandsons and living in a town where people's skin were as white as snow really took a toll on a man of his stature. Robert walked to the end of the living room and sat in his big brown chair. He sat back and reclined his feet; making a grunting sound in the process. Riley knew that once he sat down in that chair, he wouldn't be getting up for a while.

"Give me the remote. My stories is on." Robert said motioning his hand towards Riley. Judging by the stern look on his face, it was apparent that he wasn't playing around.

Riley huffed. "Nigga, nobody wanna watch yo' gay ass stories.." he mumbled.

"What you say?" Robert said daring Riley to say something smart. His hand was reaching for his belt on his waist, and his eyes were piercing.

"Nothin'!" Riley replied quickly. as he brought the remote in his direction. He didn't want to get yet another whipping from his grandfather. That shit hurt!

"Yeah, I thought so." Robert snatched the remote out of Riley's hand and changed the channel.

Riley rolled his eyes and walked over to the couch on the other side of the living room. He plopped down on it and closed his eyes. Yes, he was pissed about Robert giving him attitude all the damn time, but he didn't feel like arguing about it at this point. He lost his game, Huey said some slick shit, and he had to sit here and listen to his granddad's gay ass stories. An argument was NOT going to make the situation better.

"What the hell?" Robert boasted.

Riley opened one eye to see what he was fussing about now. Robert had his attention turned towards the television. Apparently, his stories were interrupted by breaking news.

Riley had to chuckle a little.

"That's what the fuck this nigga gets. Tryin' to clown me. Ha!" Riley thought with a grin.

"Rick, I'm standing here in front of the courtroom in Trinidad, DC., where Candice Evans has been tried as an adult in the infamous stabbing and murder of Victoria Evans four years ago. The case had been cold until 3 months ago when police found some new evidence linking Candice to the murder. Spectators say that there was no way that a daughter could murder her mother in cold blood, but obviously the judge thought otherwise…"

The anchorwoman paused and held her ear. Her face was stern as she received some new information. After a few more seconds, she brought her eyes back towards the camera and began.

"…Rick, I'm just getting word that Candice is also a suspect of the disappearance of her father, Thomas Evans, and her older sister, Shanita Evans. Police believe that she may have gotten help in getting rid of the other two victims, and-"

Granddad shook his head and crossed his arms. "These people are crazy. I bet it was one of those white teens. Mhm, those heffah's kill their parents all the time.." he ranted. "I'm glad they tried her as an adult. Shiiit. We don't need anymore crazy bitches running around. Uh uhh!." he continued.

Riley couldn't help but chuckle. "Maaaan bitches is crazy! Stupid too. See, real niggas like me don't get caught, Nah' mean? And she killed her motha', AND got rid of tha' rest of her fam'? Nah. That ain't a good look."

"Not getting caught for four years is impressive, though.." Huey cut in, not even looking up from his book. Everybody stopped and stared. When the hell did HE get in to the conversation?

"Man, that don't mean nothin'. Not gettin' caught at all, now that is impressin'. Real niggas don't get caught up. See, real niggas be on the down low. Ahh..no homo. That bitch was probably broadcastin' her business all over the damn place. Ya'll know how hoes can't shut up." Riley went on. "Some bitch nigga probably snitched."

"Will you shut the hell up? I'm trying to listen!" Robert yelled.

"…Candice's main trial will be held in Woodcrest in a few months time. Reason being, is because her Aunt is her only living relative and seeing as though she's a minor, she isn't suitable of staying on her own…"

"AWW, HELL NAW!" Riley yelled. "She comin' here?"

"SHH!" Robert said.

"….When asked about her innocence Candice had this to say.."

Riley and Robert sat at the edge of their seat, waiting for the face of the other to show. During this whole news report, not one time did they show the suspects face. They had an idea about what she looked like. A highly emotional white teenager with a crazed look in her eyes. Yelling at the camera saying that she wasn't guilty. Hair matted to her forehead and having way too much dark eye shadow on. Yep. They've seen it too many times before. Seeing that episode of disaster was always amusing to them. Especially when it was on the news and there for the world to see. Same old, same old.

…But… when the camera cut to the next scene, the face that was staring back at them made Granddad and Riley's jaw drop. Even Huey had to raise a brow.

There, on the screen was a little girl. She looked about 8. She had gray eyes and black hair that stopped at her shoulders. Along with a died red streak of hair that lay by her light brown face. But that wasn't what made her different. Under her right eye was a deep scar in the frightening shape of a lightning bolt.. It had obviously been there for a while, because it was scabbed, and rough looking. But despite her unique features, she was a cute little girl. Certainly not the killer that the audience had expected. The little girl known as Candice Evans looked right into the camera. Her gray eyes unmoving and cold. A permanent pout etched on her lips and her brows furred in a menacing fashion. Her face would make a chill go down even the toughest nigga's spine. Her eyes seemed to look right through you… with such hatred. The girl took a while to speak. She looked as if she were studying the camera, trying to see all the faces that were certainly staring back at her. After a few more awkward seconds, she murderer finally spoke.

"…Are you (BLEEP)in' stupid? Am I "innocent". Do you think anything I have to say will make a damn difference? I don't answer stupid (BLEEP)in' questions. Get the (BLEEP)in' camera out my face."

Her face didn't change. She didn't yell. She didn't blink.

Her tone was calm.  
Low.  
Eerie.

Then, the camera cut back to the anchorwoman.

"..Only time will tell if Candice is innocent or not. But if she is guilty, she will most likely get the death sentence when-"

Robert turned the television off.

The Freeman living room was silent. Everyone had to gather their thoughts and get them organized. They had never seen any shit like that before. An 8 year old murderer? Now, that was some mental asylum type shit. The Freeman family looked from one another, obviously surprised at what they've just witnessed. How can an 8 year old do some foul shit like that? And by the look on her face, it seemed as if she didn't give a fuck. What a cruel world they were living in.

After a few more seconds, Robert finally spoke.

"Damn…"

That was all he could say.

"..Yeah…that is crazy…" Riley replied under his breath. For some reason, he couldn't get that face out of his mind. And those eyes. Those gray eyes. They seemed to stare right at him. Right through him. He couldn't believe someone his age could do some shit like that to their moms and fam'. And the fact that she's a bitch made it even more astounding. "Damn.. that's a scary ass bitch! She crazy as fuck!" he thought to himself as he shifted his weight on the couch. He suddenly got uncomfortable for some reason.

But.. then he thought about it.

A little girl stabbing her mother? ..AND getting rid of all the possible witnesses?

"Wait.. That's an 8 year old girl. Nah, an 8 year old little bitch! HA! The fuck was I thinkin'? She couldn't do no G shit like killin' somebody! And getting' rid of tha' rest of tha' family? Ain't no way. Damn, I was trippin' for a sec." Riley shook his head at the thought. "Hmmph. Killin' somebody. I don't believe that shit."

"You know she's guilty, right." Huey said, cutting off Riley's thoughts.

Riley broke out of his train of thought and turned towards Huey with a questionable yet surprised look. Was he serious?

"Nigga, is you crazy? She ain't do that. Did you see that girl? Yeah, she look crazy as hell, and said some crazy shit for tha' camera, but she ain't kill nobody!" Riley had to break out in a laugh. He held his stomach, wiped his teary eyes and continued. "Maaan, I bet you when she get here, she gon' be as soft as Jazmine!"

Huey stared at Riley and shook his head in disappointment. Riley obviously didn't understand his statement. "I never said she killed anybody. I just said she was guilty…" He repeated.

"What the hell is you talkin' about? That don't make no sense. If she ain't kill nobody, how is she guilty?" Riley quizzed.

"Yeah, what the hell you talkin' 'bout boy?" Robert jumped in, after being silent for a minute.

Huey sighed and closed his book. He didn't even know why he tried. "..Nothing."

Riley shook his head. "Nigga, you stupid."

"Mhhhm.." Robert added.

Huey then got up, gathered his book and proceeded to walk towards the exit of the Freeman living room. He never did like being around ignorance for too long. It made his head spin thinking about all the things he could say, but didn't.

"Where you goin' boy?" Robert asked, looking towards Huey's direction.

"To prepare."

"Fo' what?" Riley asked, confused.

Huey sighed one last time. He then looked back at his brother and grandfather. They were so unaware of the events that were going to happen when that girl arrived to the quiet little suburbia known as Woodcrest. But then again, they weren't too much aware of anything that went on in this world. After staring at them for a few more awkward seconds, Huey finally spoke.

"You'll see.."

With that, Huey turned back towards the exit and disappeared up the wooden staircase.

Riley looked towards Robert.  
Robert looked at Riley.

A few more seconds of silence.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

They laughed for almost 5 minutes straight. Huey was always so over dramatic.

"AAAY!" Riley yelled. "The HELL is wrong wit' him!" He had to wipe some more tears out of his eyes that time. Huey was always trying to scare somebody. But that never worked on Riley. "That nigga is retarded! Preparing for what? An 8 year old "killer"?", He thought to himself as he shook his head.

"Ain't nothing' gonna happen when she get here. I run these streets! And ain't no bitch 'bout to change that."


	2. Bad Girl

_She couldn't breathe._

_She couldn't think._

_All she did was scream…_

"_Shh.."_

_A voice whispered behind her._

_But the girl didn't hear it. Her screaming for her mother was nearly making the walls vibrate. Her tears were flowing and she dropped to her knees; hoping that her silent mother would respond. Oh, God she wished she would wake up._

"_Shhhh..!"_

_The voice whispered a little louder this time._

_Still no response from the girl._

"_Shut up!"_

_The voice boomed._

_The girl looked in the direction of the voice. And to her surprise, it wasn't one person. It was two people. Standing right there in the dimly lit doorway. She couldn't see their faces. It was too dark. All she saw were two shadows. One a little shorter than the other. It sent a chill down her four year old spine. Who were they? And why were they here?_

"_What…-" one shadow started. "What have you done…?"_

_The girl was stunned, but remained silent. What could she say?_

"…_Why did you do this…?" the shorter shadow asked. _

_The girl's tears began to flow harder. She looked towards her mother, then back towards the strangers which stood in her doorway. "I…I…" she stammered in between sniffles. "I..I don't ..-"_

_The taller shadow cut her off. "What have you done, Candi?"_

"…_Candi's been a bad girl…" the other chimed in._

"_No!" The little girl finally spoke up. She managed to stand up on her little feet and clench up her fists. "I'm not! I'm not a bad girl!" she yelled; tears overflowing._

"…_Candi's been a bad girl…" they sang is unison. _

"_NO!" the girl screamed._

"_Candi's a bad girl…" They continued._

_The girl covered her ears. "I'm.. not.. I'm not a ..bad girl.."_

_The voices then turned into hushed whispers. "…Candi's been a bad girl…._

"_I'm not! I'm not!….."_

She finally opened her eyes.

Her heart was racing.

Her breathing was rapid.

Beads of sweat formed at her temples.

Sunlight was forced to enter her gray hues. She lifted up her hand to shield the sun's harsh raze. Where was she..?

"..Yeah, girl. I just picked her up from the airport. …..Nah, she ain't try nothin' slick….. Mhhm, she a quiet lil' thing, but if she try to do some-uh that crazy shit, ima' have to choke a bitch! Ha Haaaaaaa!"

The girl rolled her eyes and sat up as she listened to that screeching voice in the front seat. She remembered where she was at this point.

On her way to … what was it..?…Oh yeah…

Woodcrest.

A heavy sigh escaped from the pit of Candice's throat as she crossed her little arms in front of her chest. Listening to her aunt in the front seat was not the first thing she wanted to be greeted with when she woke up. Especially after she had that reoccurring nightmare. "Damn.." she mumbled as an all too familiar chill ran down her spine. She could still hear them. _"Candi's been a bad girl, Candi's been a bad girl.." _She shifted her weight in her seat and managed to look out the window at all the houses. The passed by in a blur of stale colors. It was obvious that she wasn't in DC anymore. Especially when all she saw was Caucasians.

Oh well. Niggahs brought too many problems anyway.

Even though she knew she could finally get some peace and quiet in this.. "Woodcrest", she still wanted this stupid case to be over with. All the paparazzi scumbags following her. All the angry scares. Who would've thought she'd be a cold blooded murderer before she even got her period.?

Oh, God she wanted this shit to be over with. She wanted it all to be over before things got worse.. Before.. people got hurt.

"Well, Well, Well…"

That voice interrupted her thoughts. Candice turned her attention towards the husky woman in the front seat. That husky woman being her Aunt Beverly, that is. Candice just knew a headache was on the way.

"..Looks like you done woke up!" she exclaimed as she eyed her niece in the rear view mirror.

Candice was silent.

"..I gots' me a few rules about mah house, now. Number One!" She put up her index finger. "Don't fuck it up. I ain't got time to be cleanin' up after no child. I'm too old fo' that." She stared at Candice through the rear view, daring her to say something smart. But Candice remained silent .

"_Hmm..I don't like you…" _Candice thought as she brought her eyes up at her aunt.

"Number Two! I aint gonna have that rap shit in mah house. Got it? We listen to Earth, Wind, and Fire! All day. Everyday!" She turned the corner on Timid Dear Lane.

"_I really…don't like you.." _Candice eyed the woman.

"And the most important rule.." she began.

"_Here we go.."_ Candice thought.

"If you EVER try to kill me, you better make sure you get it right the first time. Cause if you don't.." she paused to look back at the 8 year old. "..There's gonna be _another _bitch on trial for murder!" she said coldly as she stared at the little girl with hatred.

Candice continued to stare; her expression seemed not to be amused at her aunt's threats. "Shouldn't you be watching the road..? She asked in the calmest voice.

"Wha-?" Suddenly the car started to swerve. Stupid woman seemed to forget that she was driving. Aunt Beverly turned back around quickly and grabbed the steering wheel, trying to keep them from having an accident. Candice cracked a smile for the first time that day. She clenched on to the seatbelt she was wearing and closed her eyes; ready for whatever was about to happen.

After a few more seconds of reckless driving, Aunt Bev finally managed to put the car into a complete stop.

"_Hmm. Maybe next time, then.."_ Candice thought as she eased up her grip on her seatbelt.

Aunt Bev rested her head on the steering wheel; her heavy breathing seemed to echo throughout the car. "Damn.." she mumbled as she brought her head up. "That was.." she paused and looked around frantically. "Who is all these people?"

Candice looked out of her window and to her surprise, her aunt wasn't lying about the people. There were.. A LOT of people outside this house. It didn't take long for her to realize that said house was her Aunts.

A few camera's flashed.

People where pointing at the car.

And Candice… was pissed.

Candice knew who they were right off the bat. Nosey neighbors and paparazzi scumbag! A heavy groan escaped from Candice's throat as she slumped into her seat. How stupid could she be? Did she actually think she could escape them just because she moved halfway across the globe?

"Ohh shit!" Aunt Bev boasted. She quickly looked in the rearview mirror and checked her makeup. She then straightened her curly light gray hair that sat atop her head. "They bettah get mah good side!" she grinned from ear to ear.

…The fuck?

Candice looked up at her aunt. She was astonished. She actually _liked _this attention. That's just like a niggette. Always wanting to be seen some damn where.

Candice straightened her red strip of hair in front of her face. "You know what I know…" she paused to let the red hair fall to her shoulder. "..You better try to avoid the cameras.." she stated.

Aunt Bev seemed offended by her niece's comment. She stopped straightening her gray hair and looked back at the girl with a scowl. "Just 'cause yo' face is ugly as fuck, don't mean mine is!" she said coldly as she pointed her finger at Candice's face. "Look at that scar. You look like Chucky!" she laughed.

Candice looked towards the ground; having her hair cover her scar. It was obvious that she was a little self conscious about it. She just knew this… this _bitch _for a few hours, and already she hated her. She didn't give a fuck about it being her Aunt. Candice knew the only reason this woman too her in was for the publicity.

Which was stupid.

"..It's your funeral, then…" she mumbled.

Before she knew it, Aunt Bev hopped out the car; smiling and waving at the flashing cameras. She obviously didn't hear Candice's last statement.

Oh well. She'd find out soon enough.

Candice took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Here was the plan. She was going to jump out the car, walk quickly towards the front door, and not say a damn thing to anybody. Simple plan.

This… was gonna work.

Suddenly, Candice jumped out the car, and was instantly bombarded with flashing cameras and reporters.

"_Candice! How does it feel being tried as an adult!" _a woman shouted.

"_Candice! One question! Why did you kill your mother!" _another added.

Candice just put her head down, and ran towards the door. She ignored the questions. She ignored the people shouting her name. And most importantly, she ignored the residents of Woodcrest shouting rude comments towards her. She then realized that her stay in Woodcrest would not be a pretty one.

Finally! She made it to the front door.

She tried to turn the knob.

She tried again.

And again.

It was locked!… And that bitch had the key.

This… was _not_ gonna work.

Candice looked past the crowd of people and spotted her aunt talking to one of the reporters. She couldn't hear what she was saying, nor did she give a fuck. Probably something about her "loving children." And how she "loves Candice so much."

Bullshit. Bull fucking shit.

Candice put her head down, and covered her eyes. The flashing of the cameras in her face started to give her a pounding headache, and she silently prayed that Aunt Bev would shut the fuck up and come the fuck on. _"Please…Please.."_ she thought as she squinted up her eyes. Her head was killing her, and she was feeling a bit woozy.

The flashing.

The noise.

The insults..

She dropped to her knees.

"_Say cheese!"_ a male photographer said as he bent down at Candice's eye level. He had a menacing grin and such a strong greed for money that he would do just about anything to get it. Even if that meant putting his hands on the young girl.

Without a second thought, he yanked Candice's hands from her face, causing her to fall on her butt, and flashed it right in her eyes.

She screamed.

Her reflexes got the better of her.

She knocked the camera right out of his hand.

And it shattered as it hit the ground.

"_You crazy bitch! That was a $200 camera!"_ he yelled as he tried to gather up the pieces.

Every eye, and every camera turned in Candice's direction. Obviously anxious to get this "winning" shot of Candice getting rough with a photographer.

But what they got was something different.

"_What's wrong with her..?" _a woman asked.

"_She looks sick!" _someone replied.

Candice was sitting on the stoop by the front door. She was holding her head and her eyes were shut. She was in pain. Her head felt as if it were about to explode. _"Someone...help.."_ she whispered. But her plea fell on deaf ears.

The cameras flashed in a more wilder fashion.

People began to speak frantically.

They were loving her pain.

"Damn, girl! What's wrong with 'chu?" Aunt Bev finally appeared. She pushed through the sea of people and put her hands on her massive hips. She stared down at Candice and shook her head in disappointment. "You act like you ain't got enough cameras on you. Now you wanna try to pull this slick shit. All that for some attention!" she rolled her eyes.

….Was she serious?

Candice was getting dizzy. She managed to look up and around. She saw everyone staring at her. They were loving it.

But…then she looked to her right. At the house next door. She saw 3 figures standing there watching her. 3 black figures, no less. She couldn't make out their faces, but she did see that the one in the middle was taller than the other too.

Why did they seem to stand out from the rest?

"AHH!" Candice shouted as a bolt of pain shot through her skull. She couldn't hold on much longer.

She started to feel weak.

Helpless.

Suddenly she finally gave out, and her little body was sprawled out across the ground.

* * *

"Damn! Did you see that? That shit was crazy!" Riley said as he stared at the little girl from afar. He watched as some old woman nearly dragged her lifeless body in the house.

"You think she dead?" Robert asked as he stared at the house, desperately wondering what was going on inside.

"No. She just passed out. Nothing serious." Huey eyed the reporters and other residents of Woodcrest as they tried to look though the windows.

"\Man, that hoe got some problems!" Riley laughed. "She over there passin' out and shit. And fo' what? Just 'cause niggahs was takin' pictures of her? What kind of shit is that?" he asked. "I'm surprised they aint over here. People love to take pics of Young Reezy! Just ask mah niggahs!" he pointed to himself. Cockiness expressed on his features.

"What niggahs?" Huey asked.

"Ay! I got niggahs." Riley crossed his arms.

"Where?" Huey replied.

"In the street…" he adverted his eyes.

"What street?" Huey raised a brow.

"Mmhhm. That girl is crazy. And she next door, too! Shhiiiiiit. She bettah not come over here and stab us up…" he paused. "Come on, ya'll! Go in the house! Lock all the doors and the windows!" he boasted, pushing the two grandsons towards the door.

"Aw come on, Granddad! That girl ain't gonna do nothin'!" Riley exclaimed as he yanked out of his grandfather's grip.

Suddenly, he got an idea.

"Ima go talk to her, then. Since you so scared." Riley said with a grin.

"Oh, no you aint!" Robert exclaimed as he turned towards the younger grandson.

"Yeah. Its best if you just stay away from her." Huey added.

"What fo'? I aint scared or nothin'! And if she _do _try sumthin', ima slap the shit out of her." he crossed his arms and grinned.

"RILEY!" Robert yelled as he grabbed his grandson's shoulders and shook them a little.

"AY! Get off mah gear!" Riley exclaimed.

"Listen!" Robert said as he looked at Riley right in his eyes. "You stay away from that girl, iight? Don't talk to her. Don't email her on the I-space. Don't look at her. Hell, don't even look at the direction she standin' in!" a vein started to pop out his head. "You mess with that girl, and we _all _gonna be in trouble. Got it?" he gripped Riley's shoulder harder.

Riley sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes. "Shit, man. Iight.." a pout was etched on his features as he yanked away from his grandfather.

"Good! Now come in this house and lock the door behind you!" Robert and Huey then disappeared behind the closed front door, leaving Riley outside.

Riley huffed.

"Maaan. I'm Young Reezy. I do what I wants to do, and I go's where I wanna go!" he said as he looked towards the "killer's" house with an evil grin.

"Besides.." he began to open his front door. "..This is _my _hood. And if anyone's gonna properly welcome her to _my _hood, it's gonna be _ME."_


	3. Too Close

Sorry I took so long with this Disclaimer. :)

If I owned anything, I don't think I would be on this site. I'd have mad paper. And bitches! :D Nah, but seriously. The only thing I own is Candice, Aunt Bev, and **obviously **the characters you've never heard of. Duh. :)

* * *

_Tap, Tap, Tap.._

His dress shoes echoed off the pavement as he made his way up to the house. The house that was the talk of the town. The house that held so many secrets. The house that held a killer.

He felt a bead of sweat form at his temple as he finally made it up to the door of the dark house. It was so quiet. So… dead. He cautiously looked behind him; fear growing deeper and deeper inside his heart. He could've sworn that someone was standing there… watching him..

Maybe it was just his ever so frantic mind playing tricks on him..

He then stared up at the dark sky.

He gulped.

He brought his wrist up to his face; Looking at his watch. It plainly read 5:13 am.

He gulped again; louder this time.

Why? Why did she want to meet him _this_ early in the morning? The sun wasn't even out, yet! Nobody was out…

He was alone. Alone with the murderer.

The cool morning air lightly kissed his steaming face. It would've felt good to him if his mind wasn't so clouded with dark thoughts. Thoughts about what could happen to him that morning. He shuddered when he realized that the longer he stayed out here staring at the door, the longer this meeting would take. He clutched the suitcase he brought with him in his hand. What if she was watching him out of a window? Plotting a way to take him out without anybody else noticing.. Was _that _why she wanted to meet him this early? He took a deep breath…

..And knocked on the door softly..

His heart fell in his stomach when the door flung open; forcing him to stumble a few steps back. He wasn't even finished with the first knock!

He regained his balance and stared down in fear.

…Those eyes. Those… gray menacing eyes.

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Nothing but silence. He stood frozen staring at the little 8 year old. He wondered what she was thinking. What she was plotting. Plotting against him.

Silence.

It was an eerie silence as they stood staring at one another.

It was eerie… until she broke it.

"…Are we gonna do this, or _what?" _she hissed. She wanted to get this shit done before her aunt woke up.

She stood there, staring up at him. He appeared in a blue suit and a red tie. His dress shoes were shiny. It was obvious that he took time out for getting dressed well. Granted, he looked a lot different from what she expected. He sounded like a stuck up white man on the phone. But what stood before her was…_this_. And why was he staring at her like that? Like she was some sort of monster? Yes, it was early in the morning and she was in her pajamas, but that wasn't a reason to stare at her like she was… nothing. She was slowly getting pissed off. And the fact that he didn't answer her was making it worse. "_WELL?"_ she pressed as she turned around and began to walk in her house.

He stood with a blank stare. He didn't know what to say. "..I-..I-…Yeah…" he began as he lowered his head and began to follow her inside the dark house. "Yeah, okay.."

Once inside, Tom took the liberty of closing the door behind him… since Candice was nowhere in sight. He looked left, and then right. All he saw was darkness.

"In here.." he heard a voice call.

He followed the tiny voice towards his left. It was coming from the living room. When he entered, he noticed that Candice was sitting on the couch. Her feet propped on the coffee table. She cut her eyes towards him with a look that said _`Sit down, or I'll kill you...`_

Well… at least that's how Tom deciphered it.

Tom walked slowly towards the other side of the coffee table and sat in a chair across from her. He set his suitcase on the table and looked up at her with a hint of fear in his eyes. Why did he agree to take this case?

There they sat. Staring each other down. Each lost in their thoughts. Tom cleared his throat in an attempt to get the conversation started,… but to no avail.

Candice noticed his demeanor. How fidgety and nervous he was. How he seemed to sweat as soon as they locked eyes when she opened the door to let him in. All these signs only meant one thing..

He was a bitch.

Which meant he was… _perfect_.

Tom cleared his throat again. He knew that this meeting had to get started before he died of a heart attack. He opened his suitcase and took some papers out. He shuffled them around and looked up at Candice once more. Her demeanor didn't change. She just sat there watching his every move. He had to break the silence.

"..Well.." he straightened. "This is… quite a predicament you're in.." He looked at her, expecting a response, but he was greeted with silence. "And um.. Why did you want to meet so early..? He asked, curious.

Candice adverted her eyes to the side and remained silent.

She had her reasons…

He gulped, deciding that there were more important things at hand. "Uhh.. So being you're lawyer.. ..it's mandatory to- to ask.." he started as he clenched his fists together. "To…to ask.." he tried again. He didn't know how to get the question out. He then took a deep breath and blurted it out with a stab of courage that seemed to form from thin air. "Did.. Did you really kill your mother!"

Her hues grew a tad wider and she stared at him with a confused expression. It was obvious that asking her that took a toll on him. That would explain why his voice raised an octave. "Hmm.." she began as she removed on of her legs from the coffee table. She then leaned back on the couch and clasped her hands together in her lap. A soft chuckle was heard..

"..Do _you_ think I killed her, Tom?"

Tom grimaced. That tone of voice she used was as if she found it funny. What kind of little girl was she? "I….I'm here to prove that you're not.." he replied.

"Yes. But do _you_ think I killed her, Tom?" she repeated. " It's a simple yes or no question, Tom." she lowered her hues and pushed some hair from her face.

The way she said his name after every sentence sent a chill down his spine. "I.. wanna believe you didn't."

"Right. So even if I _did _kill her, you'd still represent me? Is _that_ what you're getting at, Tom?" she asked as she leaned forward, staring at him right in the eyes. She raised a brow and waited for his answer.

Tom was speechless. "I..I..-"

"So let's say this thing works out and I'm found innocent. That means they're letting a cold blooded killer run free to kill again. And you know what, Tom?" she began with another grin. "…It'd be all your fault…"

Silence.

What could he say? It was then he realized that this was no ordinary girl. "Uhh…" he began as he cleared his throat for the third time that morning. "..We'll… come back to that question later.." he shuffled more papers nervously.

She grinned.

He stopped and looked at one particular piece of paper. He then brought his eyes back up towards her. Ignoring his beating heart, he had to ask.. "..What happened to your sister and father..?" he asked; his pulse racing. "..I-it says here you were charged of getting rid of them… D-Did you..?" he asked.

Candice put a finger to her chin, as of pondering the question. After a few more seconds of thinking, she looked back at Tom. "Hmm… I forgot what I did with them…" she grinned.

"WHA-" he began, shocked. His whole body began to quiver. He was terrified. "You don't mean, you actually..-"

"What are you doing here, Tom?" she asked, cutting him off.

Tom was confused. "I..-"

"You know that there's no way we can win this." she removed her other leg from the coffee table and sat on the edge of the couch. "Why the hell did you ask if you could represent _me _of all people?" She asked with a confused expression.. Why _would_ someone like this want to help someone like her? This wasn't just you're normal random act of kindness…

..Then it hit her. She finally found a way to make this case turn out in her favor. But to do that, she had to take a major risk at this point. And she knew exactly how to do it..

The R. Kelly case.

"You…. You selfish.. Piece of..._shit!" _she exclaimed, but not loud enough to wake up her sleeping aunt. Her angry stare pierced through Tom's heart.

"..Wha.-.. What are you talking about..?" he asked with the most confused expression he ever made. Where did this sudden outburst of anger come from?

Candice shook her head in disappointment. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but she had to. She just _had _to let this case go _her_ way. Before things got ugly. Before people got hurt. Before… they got to her…

"C…Candice..?" Tom cut off her thoughts.

Candice broke from her trance. She stood up quickly, causing Tom to sit back further in his chair. She pointed at him in his face and forced a chuckle. "You are a piece of work, aren't you.?" she asked as she lowered her finger. "The only reason you took this case was to make up for the one you lost." she shook her head again.

Tom was speechless.

"Tom Dubois wins the most controversial case of all time.." she said, mocking what future news reporters might say. "Has a good ring to it, doesn't it?" she put her hands on her hips, and started walking towards the front door. Reluctant and confused, Tom followed.

"But I-.." he stammered as he watched her open the door.

"But nothing." she glared back at him. "You're alone with this. I'm not gonna try to help you win. You're on your own. Now leave." she pushed him outside.

"But, if we don't talk about this case, how are we gonna win, Candice!" he exclaimed, finding courage from somewhere. He couldn't believe she got such a huge assumption like that. And it seemed to come from thin air! He had never met someone so moody in his life. Maybe she was bipolar. A bipolar 8 year old…. Go figure.

"You're the lawyer. Figure it out!"

She slammed the door right in his face.

Tom stared at the door with his chin nearly hitting the ground. His eyes were wide and he seemed frozen in time.

"…_What…_in the _world…_just happened…?"

* * *

Inside, Candice leaned on the other side of the door. Her gray hues lowered towards the ground. She felt a tear trying to form in her eye, but she would _never_ allow it to fall. She slowly slid her body down towards the ground and a heavy sigh escaped from the pit of her throat. "I'm so sorry Tom…" she whispered as she brought her knees up to her little chest.

"..But…it was for your own good…"

* * *

_"In my shoes just to see…. What it's like to be me. I'll be you, let's trade shoes… just to see what it'd be like to feel your pain. You feel mine. Go inside each other's mind. Just to see what we'll find. Look at shit through each other's eyes…"_

The song, "Beautiful" by Eminem blasted through her headphones as Candice sat on her porch. It had been 10 whole hours since that… confrontation with Tom. And what did she do since then? Just sit home sulking in her own depression. Hell, she would've still been inside sitting in her room if her aunt hadn't forced her outside. According to Aunt Bev, she was "tired of looking at her". Heh, what an old bitch.

Candice didn't want to go out walking anyplace. Especially when the sun was so high up in the air. People were out. Which meant people could be watching her. And Lord knows she didn't need any extra attention. So she just decided to sit on her porch, close her eyes, and let the music take over her. At least until it got dark out.

She just had begun to listen to another song, when she felt a presence standing in front of her. She had her head lowered to the ground and her eyes closed, so she didn't see who it was. But she had an idea…

_"Fucking paparazzi!"_ she thought.

Did they _ever _quit? Oh, how she wished she could listen to her music in peace. They always had to bother her whenever they could. And all that just to make a quick buck at her expense. How fucked up was that? Candice opened her eyes to see the form of a shadow on the ground. She didn't bother looking up. She knew that as soon as she did, she'd be greeted with a flash. She didn't need a repeat of yesterday's episode. "I don't think a picture of me listening to music would do you any good…" she said with a sigh. "Come back when I'm stuffing the Ipod down someone's throat. _That _picture should be worth a few grand.." she hissed as she rolled her eyes; her head still lowered.

"Damn. Niggah's be makin' _that _much paper fo' a picture of you? "

..That voice. That… strange voice. It certainly didn't sound like any paparazzi she'd ever heard. No.. this voice sounded like a child. More appropriately, a little girl. Candice took the earphones out of her ear and looked up at the other…

Okay… so it wasn't a little girl..

It was a young boy. Candice raised a brow when she noticed his attire. He wore black baggy pants with white shoes and a black shirt that read "Esco." in white letters. _"The hell is that supposed to mean..?" _she thought to herself as she continued to eye him up and down. She noticed that he wore a white hat and a silver chain that hung so low that it reached his groin. What was that on the chain…? A… microphone..? She then brought her eyes towards his face. She noticed he had long corn rolls that ended at his shoulders. But then she noticed his eyes. He had the most… beautiful light brown eyes she'd ever seen…

It was then she realized who he was. She kind of remembered him from yesterday. He was one of the short dark figures that was staring at her from next door. Sure, she could hardly see their faces, but she knew that's who he was. But what she didn't know, was why he was here… "Oh.. It's you.." she said without any enthusiasm. She wasn't trying to make any new friends.

"Oh, so you heard of me, huh? I ain't surprised, though. Niggahs can't help but talk about Esco!" he pointed to himself; his cockiness expressed on his brown face.

_"Well, that explains the shirt... What a stupid nicnkame.."_ she thought to herself as she shook her head. She knew what kind of boy he was right off the bat. He was a cocky `gangsta` who idolized the `thug` life. That was stupid. How the hell can you be a thug from… Woodcrest?

Candice's first impression of `Esco`?

..He's an idiot.

"What do you want?" she hissed as she stared at him with a menacing expression. She knew he only wanted to ask her about the case. About whether she really killed her mother. And whether she actually got rid of the rest of her family. And frankly, Candice didn't feel like answering any stupid fucking questions at this point. And the fact that they were going to come from an idiot just pissed her off a little bit more.

Riley looked down at the `killer` with a grin. He didn't know why all these people were scared of this girl. She looked like a harmless rabbit. Riley took a second to notice her face. Seeing that scar up close was kind of creepy, but he was a real niggah. And real niggahs weren't scared of something as dumb as a scar. Riley then noticed her eyes. Those… gray eyes. He'd never seen anything like them. And the fact that they were on the face of an African American just made it even more unbelievable. Riley grinned.

"Well, since this is _my _hood, I should be tha' one to welcome you to it." he crossed his arms in front of his chest and chuckled. "You know what? All dese niggahs is scared of you, but I ain't! So if you think you gon' run shit around here, you mistakin', cuz these streets belong to Young Reezy! Nah mean?"

Candice hardly listened to him. She spaced in and out. But what she _did _hear was his last sentence. "…Young.. Reezy? The hell is that..?"

Riley huffed. "Girl you stupid.. Who you _think _it is?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"…..." a blank stare.

"It's _ME! _Damn!" he exclaimed. "Is you even listening?"

"…I thought your name was `Esco.`" Candice raised a brow. She saw the look on his face and she realized that she was annoying him. Candice found it… kind of funny. She didn't know much about this idiot, but what she did know was that it didn't take much to push his buttons.

Riley rolled his eyes. This girl obviously wasn't the brightest bullet in the chamber. "I got all kinds of names, feel me? H.R. Paper Stacks! Also known as AKA Horsechoker! Uhh.. AKA Pillsbury Doughboy! AKA Louis Rich!… Uhh..-"

She raised a brow. "So….you're schizophrenic?"

His eyes went wide and he clenched up his fists. "The fuck! NO!" he yelled; his eyes clenched shut. The fuck is wrong with this girl?

_"What the fuck is wrong with this boy?"_ she thought to herself as she watched this mini temper tantrum he was having. She had never met anyone like him in her life. So much cockiness couldn't hardly fit in a child his size. She hated to admit it. Oh, _GOD _how she hated to admit it. But… she found this boy… kind of funny.

Kind of..

"Look!" he exclaimed, cutting her off from her thoughts. "Just know that dese streets belong to _me_! Feel me?" he pointed to himself once again, but this time taking one step closer to her. Candice inched back. She never was comfortable about people being too close to her…. Especially guys. That would explain the accident with the camera yesterday. He… just got a little too close..

"..These are _your _streets, right?" she asked.

"Yep Yep!" he crossed his arms in from on his chest and grinned. This hoe was finally beginning to understand. Took her long enough.

"Hmm.. Well, that's weird.. " she stood up, realizing that she was a little shorter than him. She then walked past him and looked down the street as if she lost something.

Riley was confused. "What is you doin'?" he asked as he eyed her. He realized that she was shorter than him. And that boosted his ego. He was always the shortest in a group of people. And the fact that he was taller than her just made him feel better about himself.

"_Your _streets, huh? So that means _this _particular street is yours, too?" she asked as she cut her eyes towards him.

"You ain't a good listener, are you?" he asked as he shook his head.

"That's really weird.." she repeated. "'Cause that street sign says `Timid Dear Lane`… " she raised a brow.

"So what?" Riley was confused. That's just like a hoe. Never making sense.

"I'm just sayin'… It doesn't say H.R. Paper Stacks… Or Young Reezy… Or Esco…" she walked towards him, crossing her arms in front of her chest. She grinned a little and moved a single red strand of hair from her face.

"_SO?"_ Riley hissed, watching her motions. "What the hell-"

"SO! These _can't _be _your _streets, can they?" she asked as she walked past him again and stood on her porch. What was this boy trying to prove? This little `gangsta` act was seriously getting old. She _knew_ what real gangstas did. So that meant she knew that they didn't care about stupid nicknames and running streets like…. Woodcrest. All this idiot was doing was embarrassing himself..

But still…

She _was _surprised that he actually had the balls to come up to her and actually _talk _to her. And what made it even more suprising was that he didn't ask her about the murders. Not even _once! _He seemed not to be afraid of her. Which is more than what she could say about the other residents of Woodcrest. They seemed to stare at her in fear and confusion. Yet, this boy looked at her like she was actually a _person_ rather than a monster. And even though she was purposely pushing his buttons at the moment, she still appreciated the fact he didn't treat her the same as everybody else.

Riley thought about what she said and shook his head back and forth. "AY!" he yelled. "I'm workin' on the street signs, IIGHT!" he lied.

"Riiiight…" she shook her head. "But until then… you've been beat by a… Timid Dear.." she managed to chuckle. "You might wanna work on that.." she reached for the door handle. She decided that this idiot had enough of her logic. She didn't want to make his head explode. That would mean another charge added to her case!

"AY!.. THAT DON-…I AIN-…YOU JUST-.. DAMN!" he clenched up his fists again and a snarl was etched on his face. This hoe thought she could punk Young Reezy? Hell no. He wouldn't let that shit happen! He was determined to get her back.

Candice expected another temper tantrum to ensue, but an enraged voice caught her attention.

"RILEY! GET YOUR LITTLE SHORT ASS OVER HERE!" a voice boomed from her right.

Candice looked towards the voice and noticed that an older man was yelling out the front door. Yelling at the boy. _"Ahh.. Finally, a real name.." _she shook her head. She then looked back at Riley, who was still trying to figure out what to say. He was so… _stupid_. "What's _his _problem..?" she asked out loud.

Riley gave up on his comeback. He knew that he would get her back… He just didn't know how… But he _knew _it would be soon. "He ain't want me talkin' to you." he said with a pout. "He said you was gonna kill us, or some shit… But I'm Young Reezy! I aint scared! I goes where I wants to go…"

_"He said you was gonna kill us..." _Riley's words seemed to echo in her mind. Damn. What was she thinking talking to this boy? It was then that she realized that she shouldn't have even came outside. "You… better listen to him.. Stay away from me.." she said as she lowered her eyes towards the ground. She clenched up her fists; ignoring the constant yelling of the older gentleman next door. But she couldn't blame him. She was trouble. She knew that if anybody was around her they wouldn't have a long life.. She couldn't make any friends. She couldn't even have associates. She _had _to be alone… For their sake...

"..Like I said. I ain't scared of you. I know damn well you aint _kill_ nobody!" he managed to chuckle as he began to walk towards his yelling grandfather. "Peace!" he exclaimed.

…What…?

"Wait!.. Hold up!" she yelled in Riley's direction.

Riley stopped dead in his tracks and turned around halfway. Of course this pissed off his grandfather because he began to curse at Candice.. But she ignored him like she did everybody else. "What?" Riley asked, raising a brow.

"…You don't think I did it…?" she asked, dumfounded.

Riley grinned from ear to ear. "Hell nah. I ain't stupid.."

And with that, he disappeared inside of his house. Leaving Candice outside, staring at the Freeman's door.

The yelling stopped.

There was just silence.

"_He… he doesn't think I did it…?"_ she thought to herself as she lowered her gray hues towards the ground. `_Hell nah.. I ain't stupid…`. _She remembered his words. Was he serious? Or was he just fucking with her? He seemed serious. But everyone…. _EVERYONE _thought she did it. Even her own _aunt!_ So… why was this boy any different? _"I _ain't_ stupid…" _his words repeated in her mind.

_"Riley... you idiot..."_

…Was that a …._smile _on her face..?

* * *

_CLICK, CLICK, CLICK!_

The camera's flash was turned off. No need of causing any attention to the bushes that they were hidden in. But it was good, because they didn't need the flash. They got all the information they needed for now. They had been stationed outside her house ever since she came outside that day, and their efforts had finally paid off. Candice seemed to like the boy that she was just talking to. Just look at that smile!

_CLICK, CLICK!_

They would do _anything _to permanently erase that fucking smile from her face.

They watched as Candice walked back in her house. They were baffled. Was… that a _spring_ her step?

_CLICK, CLICK!_

They wouldn't let this madness continue. This bitch didn't deserve to smile. She didn't fucking deserve to be happy. They had to hurt her some way. But that didn't necessarily mean hurting her physically. No…that would come later… No, for now.. they had to _crush _her spirit…

..And they knew _exactly _how they were going to do that…

* * *

**Authors Comments: **Might not be posting more chapters for a while until I get more reviews! So.. tell your friends! Tell your friend's friends! Tell your friend's friend's friends! Tell your friend's friend's friend's baby mama Boomqueesha! ...Ahem... You get the point. :)


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